Milford man opens Royal Oak restaurant

Tom Brady of Milford is continuing the tradition his grandfather started when he originally opened a restaurant in Detroit more than 60 years ago. He recently opened Jim Brady’s Detroit in Royal Oak.

Q. Tell us about your business and what you do.

I’m a third generation restaurateur, and opened Jim Brady’s Detroit, after an almost nine month interior and exterior overhaul of the building we purchased.

Jim Brady’s Detroit restaurant is a throwback to my grandfather’s original concept that he opened more than 60 years ago on ‪‪7 Mile Road‬ and Greenfield in Detroit‬. Our goal was to create something that would reflect what my grandfather’s place would look like if he opened up today.

Q. What are some of the products and/or types of services you offer?

My family’s original restaurant used fresh local ingredients and many cooking techniques that have recently returned to prominence. Michigan-based companies dominate our list of “partners” or vendors. We call this our “grown at home” commitment.

We’re taking it all back to the roots. If you think back to the ‘50s and ‘60s, things like hand-making the patty for a burger. Now that’s very in-style, but it’s something we’ve been doing for decades.

Q. How and why did you first decide to open your business?

To be able to carry on my grandfathers, (Jim Brady,) and fathers, (Tom Brady, Sr.) storied legacies —and bring this dream of opening, Jim Brady’s Detroit, to a reality — is something that is very special to me. I take a great amount of pride in being able to say that I am a third generation “Brady” restaurateur in metro Detroit.

Q. What is your background in this area?

I have over 30 years of restaurant operating experience, having most recently served as the director of operations for the casual dining division of Meritage Hospitality Group of Grand Rapids.

Q. Why did you choose the Royal Oak area?

Royal Oak was the perfect launch pad for what we are doing. The Brady name still resonates with so many in metro Detroit and our new location in Royal Oak is 15 minutes from everywhere.

Q. What makes your restaurant unique?

There are so many great restaurants and restaurant operators in metro Detroit. What all of us do isn’t really that different when you get down to it. I think our 60 years of history that so many people worked very hard to build and maintain is the most unique aspect of who we are. We look to create a friendly place - with a neighborhood atmosphere for those to call their own. The original Diamond Jim Brady’s was Detroit’s first upscale bar and grill. We are very proud to carry on that tradition.

Q. What do you hope diners remember about the restaurant after their first visit?

We hope that our guests remember us most for our uncommon hospitality. At the end of the day, we hope to make your day better than it was when you walked through our front door.

Q. What’s in store for the future of your business?

In carrying on my grandfather’s fine tradition, a second Jim Brady’s Detroit will open in downtown Ann Arbor later this summer, and we’re planning to open another Jim Brady’s Detroit on Cass Avenue in Midtown Detroit in 2017.

Your business specialty: Jim Brady’s Detroit proudly carries on that tradition from Diamond Jim Brady’s Bistro in Novi, as well as, providing a number of new world-class options that include maple miso salmon, roasted cauliflower with romesco sauce, blackened bbq chicken and pineapple quesidilla with house made rock n’ rye bbq sauce and plenty more.